History with ‘Hud’: Recalling early days of the New Hanover County Courthouse
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Wilmington has several prominent historic structures lining 3rd Street in downtown. From churches to theaters, there are some unique architectural giants. But one corner building has served a very important purpose for more than a century.
The New Hanover County Courthouse in Wilmington was constructed on land formerly home to the city’s gallows. The plot was purchased in 1891 for $10,000. The building itself took another $60,000 to complete, being designed by architects Alfred Eichberg and James F. Post.
The cornerstone of the foundation was laid on April 20, 1892 with the Superior Court moving in nearly a year later, on April 17, 1893. As a primarily brick structure, with the only wood being the flooring, it became one of the first fireproof municipal structures in North Carolina.
Inside there’s a cross hall plan on the first story with wood staircases ascending to the main courtroom located on the second story. The building is connected on the east side to the County Courthouse Annex, which was added between 1924 and 1925.
The courthouse remained mostly untouched for more than 60 years, until the 1980s. It underwent a $2.1 million restoration from 1986 to 1988 to restore the courthouse to its original look, while bringing it up to code.
The structure is still in use today and is passed by thousands of people each day traveling down Third Street or Princess Street in downtown. It should continue to serve the quickly-growing community for decades to come.
Meteorologist Matthew Huddleston (‘Hud’) has always had two major loves – weather and history. While you can watch him talk about weather each morning on WWAY, he looks forward to bringing you a little piece of history each Thursday on WWAY’s website.
To read other History with ‘Hud’ segments, click HERE.
